Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-21
TRAFFIC ON THE RAILS
THE house TO VOTE ON INTER.
STATE COMMERCE TO-DAY.

Declaration That 1t wi Take Years
to Reach Decision In the Supreme
Court.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 20-rhe House to-
day resumed consideration of the confer
euce report on the Interstate commerce
bill. After short discussion, on motion Of
Mr.. Crisp, of Georgia, by unanimous con-
sent it was ordered tina a session should
he held tonight for discussion OF the re
port that at the end OF that session the pre-
vioUs question should be considered as Or
dered, and that the vote on the adoption
OF the report should be taken tomorrow
morning after the reading of the Journal.
Mr.. Caldwell, of Tennessee, supported
the compromise bill, not as perfect code,
but as one which had III view the cOrrec-
tl0n OF great evils and the defects in
which would be revealed when the law
WAS put into operation. and would then
be susceptible Of remedy.
DIBBLE ADVOCATES RECOMMITTAL.
Mr.. Dibble, of south Carolina, favored
the recommittal of the bill to the confer
ence committee for the purpose Of having
its detects corrected, and expressed the
opinion that such recommtttal would not
endaEger the passage of the bill. But
measure, he conteuded that that would
be better than tor Congress to enact into
law such ambiguous legislation. The
effect OF its enactment would be TO throw
into the courts the construction of words
which should be construed by Congress.
YEARS TO DECIDE.
1t would be some years before that ID
lIcial INTERPRETATION would be given, and
the result would be postponement OF
the remedy which was required to correct
the wrongs under which the people suf-
fered today, There would be a truce
while the matter was being fought Ou t in
the courts. and IN view OF the ambiguity
OF the bill, 1t would be infinitely better
for the PEOPLE that it should
not pass. His chief objection to the
measure was directed against what he
considered the dangerous powers which
were conferred upon the commission, in
the ma ter OF sIspe nding the operation OF
the long and short haul section, and which
permitted it to make tisn Of one and flesh
Of another.
BRACES OPPOSITION.
Mr. Bragg, of Wisconsin, declared his
opposition to the bill. and his determina-
tiOn TO vote against 1t.
for the bill, Notwithstanding it's defects,
and Notwithstanding the TACT that it at
tempted too much tor the first step.
A Mr.. GrosvenOr, of Ohio, opposed the bill
and criticized the comm ssion feature
of it.
Mr.. johnson, of New York, ridiculed
those gentlemen who, after depicting the
evils which would result from the pas
sage OF the bill, calmly announced their
Intention of voting for it. He expressed
his adniration for the plucky gentleman
from Pennsylvania Mr.. ONeill), who
nailed his flag to the mast and determined
ito go down with flying colors, aud he
Z Mr.. Johnson) proposed to go down with
him.
y Messrs. Rockwell and Long. of Massa-
chusetts, spoke in favor of the bill, while
acknowledging its defects.
DAMTNG UP ALABAMA.
4 MIR. Martin, OF Alabama, opposed the
bill, on the ground that to pass it with the
fourth section in it would be to dam up
the resources OF Alabama, and DENY
TO her any future progress in mining aud
manufacture.
MIR. Oates, of Alabama, made legal and
constitutional argument directed especi-
ally against the long and short haul sec
tion, opposed the centralizing tendency
OF the measure, ana denounced the great
powers which were conferred upon tAe
commission, by which 1t could raise or
depress stocks IN Wall street at its plea
sure.
Mr.. Findlay, of Maryland, criticized
the long and snort haul feature.
IN Mr.. Warner, of OHIO, expressed his ap-
proval OF it, and Mir. Holman. of Indiana,
While admitting that it was open to
criticism, heartily supported the bill.
The House at 80 O'clock took recess
until 1880 O'Clock, the evening session to
be for further debate on the conference
report.
SPEAKING TO EMPTY BENCHES.
There was very small attendance of
Representatives at the evening session.
Speeches upon interstate commerce bill
were made by Messrs, Morrow, McKenna,
Butterworth, Anderson, Rowell, Hender-
son, Peters, Hepburn, McAd0o, Allen,
Bayne, Burrows, Stone, LaFollelte,
Brown and O'Nell. The only speakers
from the Southern States We're Messrs.
Pettlbone, of Tennessee, and Cox, of
North Carolina. Mr.. PettiDone sup
ported the bill and denied that
there was any ambiguity in the
long and short maui sectIou, declaring
that he would whip his l2-year-old boy II
he could not understand it. Mr.. Cox. OF
North Carolina, recogniZeI the inds-
pensaole necessity OF Congress asserting
Its right to regulate the grest railroad
enterprises Of the country. ana he heartily
favored the pending bill. Mr.. COT, OF
West Virginia, thought the bill was
proper one, and he supported the long aud
short section, which he regarded as pos
sessing much Of the virtue of the measure.
AT lO:35 O'Clock the uOuse adjourned.
~ VANDERBTLT's ALLEGED SCHEME.
CHICAGO, Jan. 20.-Ihe Chicago papers
Will TO morrow publish an assertion tnat
II the Interstate commerce bill becomes a
law the NaDdefbilLs Will arrange TO work
The Nickel Plate and West SnOre roads
Tor through business from Chicago TO New
York, taking care OF local traffic with the
Lake Shore and New York Central lines.
BY this means IL is claimed rates would be
upheld on botn classes OF freight without
Violating any OF the provisions of the law.
Cost OT Coliec ing the revenue.
WAsHINGToK, Jan. 20.-An estimate of
ihe cost Of collecting the customs reve-
nue for the next fiscal year was sent to
Congress to-day. The grand total is